Originally Posted by
Trakhak
That does clarify the claim being made. So the force being returned by the frame represents an additional load that your foot has to push against (torque applied to pull the chain forward + torque applied to oppose the flex returned to the drivetrain). Sounds like more work, not less.
Edit: to make my point abundantly clear, "the flex returned to the drivetrain" is weasel wording. The flex, a.k.a. force, that is returned to the drivetrain doesn't magically leap through the bottom bracket and chainring and into the chain.
If what's happening is anything at all like the description says, the returned force is pushing the pedal against the foot, presenting another load that your foot has to work against, in addition to the load represented by pulling of the chain to drive the wheel.
RChung ,
The point I raised above---that the only way driving force can be applied to the drivetrain is through the foot, and that forces being returned as the frame flexes, such as they are, must represent an additional load that the foot must work against--- seems to me to be the core of the problem with claims about planing. If my reasoning seems faulty, please point out my mistake(s).